Skip to main content

Southwest Airlines Community

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCES INTENT TO SERVE SOUTH CAROLINA

cday
Frequent Flyer C
Carrier Selects Charleston and Greenville-Spartanburg--No Subsidies Required

 

May 11, 2010--Southwest Airlines today announced its intent to serve the state of South Carolina—without subsidies—through the cities of Charleston (CHS) and Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) in 2011. Southwest will release details regarding start dates, destinations and fares, and number of departures at a later date.  The airline’s service will not be dependent on pending legislation to provide air service subsidies. For more information about Southwest Airlines, click here.

 

“We look forward to serving the Palmetto State with Southwest Airlines’ unique brand of genuine hospitality, great value, a robust and reliable flight network, and our terrific Employees who deliver excellent Customer Service,” said Dave Ridley, Southwest’s senior vice president of marketing and revenue management.

 

Southwest reported a profitable start to the year with its First Quarter 2010 financial results last month. At that time, Southwest said overall demand for its Low Fares and high quality Customer Service remained strong, resulting in a record first quarter performance for load factor, passenger yield, operating unit revenue, and passenger revenues.  Southwest attributed the notable performance to its network optimization and revenue management efforts, which also have allowed it to grow in destinations without growing its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. The carrier intends to continue that growth strategy in 2011, keeping its capacity relatively flat with 2010.

 

 

 

After 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines, the nation’s leading low-fare carrier where bags fly free, continues to stand above other airlines—offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the most productive airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience with all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) currently serves 68 cities in 35 states and is the largest U.S. carrier, based on domestic passengers carried. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,200 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

 

www.southwest.com

1,329 Comments
GRANDMA_RYAN
Explorer C
HEY SOUTHWEST---MY GRANDKIDS ARE IN BLUFFTON,SC. ANY CHANCE OF DIRECT FLIGHTS OUT OF HARTFORD,CT TO SAVANNAH,GA OR HILTON HEAD?? BOTH AIRPORTS ARE ONLY 30MIN. FROM MY GRANDKIDS,WHICH WOULD MAKE IT SO MUCH EASIER WHEN TRAVELING WITH MY 90YR. OLD MOTHER. WE MISS FLYING SOUTHWEST.
Mary_Mac
Explorer C
YEA!!!!!!!!! That is a surprise! I go to western North Carolina fairly often and have to go into Charlotte on another airline. Greenville is close to my destination. This will be perfect!! Once again, SW rules! I have been one of your biggest cheerleading customers for 35 years. Can't stop recommending you guys.
Anonymous1344
Explorer C
What about Myrtle Beach, SC? That would be FANTASTIC! Charleston will work for now... Yeah.........
A_Murray
Explorer C
Please add Myrtle Beach!!!
Anonymous2256
Explorer C
My husband is from Charleston. Hope there's a direct flight from Nashville! Wonderful news! Keep up the great work Southwest.
jackie_campisi
Explorer C
Thank YOU Southwest. Our family travels there every year. It's been hard to get to Hilton Head Island. We'd rather drive from Charlestown than have to take that connector! Last time we flew, Delta overbooked the flight and our entire family had to change airlines. We were thankful Usair was so accommodating. We love your airline and hope to fly in May 2011!
Kerry3
Explorer C
YAY!! Now maybe I can visit my friends in GSP, since I don't fly anyone but SWA!! Vacation in Charleston would be nice, too!
Linda_Moore
Explorer C
Thank you, thank you, thank you. We have NEW family in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, so I and my husband are thrilled! Please hurry/
Jeannie1
Explorer C
Yea!! We LOVE Charleston, SC, but -- more importantly -- we LOVE SW even more. No matter where we travel to in the US, my first check for flights is to see if SW flies there. Keep up the good work. You are the BEST airline when connecting with a cruise out of Florida -- my bags love to fly free.
g_large
Explorer C
We badly need Southwest to provide service out of Daytona Beach, Fl Any Chance?
Scott_C_
Explorer C
Excellent...I look forward to traveling to SC with Southwest!
Diana_Ru
Explorer C
Wonderful news! Now we don't have to make the 15 hour drive from New Jersey to Charleston to see our family!
Karen_S
Explorer C
Woo Hoo soooooooo excited we have young niece and nephew in SC and go 2 times a year and it will be nice to fly rather than drive all the way from IA 🙂
Pamela_Mitchell
Explorer C
I have heard South Carolina is BEAUTIFUL in the Spring!! Now I will see for myself! Thanks to my favorite airline!
etheltoliver
Explorer C
THANK GOD FOR S.M A I HAVE FAMILY IN THE SOUTH AND 25.00 PER BAG EACH WAY CAN BE A LITTLE EXPENSIVE. SO S.W.A I LIKE AND YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR TRIP. I LIKE THE AIRLINE AND PEOPLE AND SERVICE. CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO START. I WISH IT WAS THIS YEAR BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. SAIL AWAY FOR THE YEAR OF 2011. TRAVEL HERE I COME. LOVE IT! E.TOLIVER
etheltoliver
Explorer C
THANK U LORD!
Anonymous2779
Explorer C
Our daughter will be a freshman in September at the College of Charleston. This is the best graduation gift you could give to our daughter -- and us! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! The 9 hour drive one way was just wiped away by your pending service to Charleston. Expect us as regular customers on your new route!!!
Eartha
Explorer C
What a surprise!!!! and good news, me being a South Carolinaan living in Nashville is good news, I wonder will you get close to Florence, S.C. My husband is getting to the point where he said the drive is a long one, for the family and especially with little ones traveling in an automobile. I would love to fly Southwest to Florence, S. C. to eliminate the drive. I also have relatives in Charlotte, N. C. so how are things looking that way. I'm really excited about South Carolina. I hope you can get closer to Florence, South Carolina I'm praying for this. Thank You sooooooooooooooo Muuuuuuuuuchhhhhhh. and May the best be in your furture. Thanks,
nancy_warner
Explorer C
Please,Southwest can you add Myrtle beach airport to your list of stop to South Carolina PLEASE,i come from Albany airport and want to come back and vacation with my husband in myrtle beach and would love to take Southwest into Myrtle beach airport...PLEASE
Markie
Explorer C
yippee then expand to NC like Charlotte and then Chattanooga Tenn and Myrtle Beach go sw air I live in Dallas and LOVE LOVE FIELD
Anonymous2625
Explorer C
I love Southwest. Would love to have you fly from East Tennessee or Asheville, North Carolina. Nashville is a long drive.
Carmen
Explorer C
Great, I always like Southwest Airlines and I excited to travel to Charleston in it.
NenaMarie
Explorer C
GREAT news BUT what about Myrtle Beach SC??? or Wilmington, NC ??? that would be FABULOUS for me; I live in between the two cities and I'm forced to go back and forth to NM with another airline and HATE IT; I have been traveling w/ SWA for over 25 years, but now I can't do it as much as I'd like. thanks
Melinda_H
Explorer C
Great! We love Southwest Air.
Jerry_Jones
Explorer C
Great! Now we need to work on "Myrtle Beach" and use the old Myrtle Beach Air Force Base runway giving needed competition to * (names omitted) airlines. This is a popular trip for us golfers and we've been taken to the cleaners for years. Good work SW.... and see you in LV for your annual party. Jerry
Nancy_M
Explorer C
Thanks so much for the addition of Charleston, SC, where I have children and grandchildren. Have been flying SW to and from Sarasota (Tampa, Fl) and Raleigh, NC along with other vacation trips to other destinations. Prefer SW to anything, as you make it easy to travel. This is great news!
Thomas_R_Hardey
Explorer C
Our son is about to be stationed in Charleston. Thanks for starting this new service!
Kiki
Explorer C
This is FANTASTIC NEWS!! Please fly direct between Chicago and Charleston! I can finally visit my family on a reasonably priced airline! Thank you!!
Phil16
Explorer C
Myrtle Beach from ISP, please!
Pete_Jackson
Explorer C
Congratulations Southwest!! You are the best! This coming week, I will be driving from Charlotte NC to Raleigh because I ONLY fly Southwest!! I look forward to the day that you announce service to Grand Rapids Michigan!! (I presently drive 300 miles to Indianapolis to fly your great airline!!!) Let me know if you need my vote for Grand Rapids!!!
a_j_1
Explorer C
I am very happy that we will now be able to fly to S.C. as we only fly Southwest. Thank you, A.J.
Military_member
Explorer C
Totally agree with Mama Judy. Shreveport needs more competition going there...I'm sure you'll get a lot of people traveling to Shreveport now that the New Air Force Global Strike Command is part of the Barksdale Community. BWI and Virginia travel to Shreveport will definitely increase with you! Please make it happen...the sooner the better!
DT
Explorer C
We need you in Greensboro NC/PTI
Anonymous4385
Explorer C
Whew Hooooo!!!!!!! I am so excited - can hardly wait!
Anonymous1195
Explorer C
Please consider starting service to Atlanta! I enjoy flying Southwest and would be grateful to use your service to ATL - I'm sure many others will agree as well!
mbw
Explorer C
Glad you are in South Carolina, any plans to fly into Charlotte, NC
Greg33
Explorer C
This is fantastic news that Southwest will be coming to Charleston. I hope you will provide flights there from Long Island/Islip as there is so much demand to Charleston from Long Island. Southwest is my family's favorite airline. Your service is always wonderful and your on-time record is impeccable. Both airports provide plenty of passengers and yet have small numbers of daily flights so as to allow Southwest to keep that impeccable on-time record performance. Hope to see you flying from Islip to Charleston in 2011.
Baltimore_Trave
Explorer C
Please set a non-stop from BWI to Charleston. That would be sweet!
Gerunda
Explorer C
On my last SWA trip on May 3, 2010, I asked the flight attendant: "When will you start flying to Charleston, SC"? Little did I know that the answer was "very soon"! Thank you, SWA! You obviously have a very loyal, enthusiastic, expanding client base. Please don't disappoint us!
Louanna
Explorer C
Thank you Thank you for finally serving South Carolina.... I have family there and always have to use someone else - I always fly S W whenever you go to where I do.....Thank you!!!!!
Mrs__B
Explorer C
This will be a huge plus for SWA and the many, many Bob Jones University students who reside in the Phoenix area.
Anonymous4252
Explorer C
YAHOO!!! FINALLY!!!! SOUTHWEST WE LOVE YOU! YOU NEED TO FLY EVERYWHERE!!!! YOu are our family favorite! Now fly to ATLANTA as well and it's all good!
Anonymous2503
Explorer C
Atlanta....Atlanta....Atlanta... please!
Lois_Hurst
Explorer C
I am so excited that you are flying into Greenville/Spartanburg! I have family there, and now it will be so much easier to visit them. We love Southwest Airlines! We have been flying from Chicago Midway to Tampa every 3 or 4 months for the past 4 years. We don't fly with any other airline. We love the friendly service, and the fact we don't have to pay for luggage, and the lower rates. Thank you so much for listening to your customers. Lois Sat, 06/12/2010
Gale1
Explorer C
South Carolina is so glad to have some really good news. Any chance of nonstop to Seattle from Charleston?
Pamela_Sue
Explorer C
There are a lot of Colleges in the Greensboro NC area - it sure would be great to fly from Philadelphia to Greensboro by Southwest than an 8.5 hour drive !! SOUTHWEST ROCKS !!!
Anonymous246
Explorer C
Great, the BIGOT State of our country. Sure that we can't give it to mexico in exchange for something, anything.
Mary_Thornton
Explorer C
Thank you Lord..... I have been praying for SW to fly into SC for 20 years.....He answers prayer, we just have to be patient sometime.....It is always in His time..... and thanks to SW, I have family there and it is always a joy to fly on Southwest.....
Frank_Myers
Explorer C
Great ... have been hoping for a long time that this service would be instituted ... ... ...
Anonymous4489
Explorer C
YEAH!!!! We have family in SC, and have to go to Nashville and drive the rest of the way!!!! This is GREAT NEWS!!!!